Today is rung 5 of 6 on this topic
Then and now
Can do: Describes how life was different in the past and puts events on a simple timeline.
Why it matters
Chronology is the hardest part of history for young children — "a long time ago" means everything from last Tuesday to the dinosaurs.
What it looks like when it's wobbly
Puts dinosaurs, grandparents and knights in the same undifferentiated "olden days".
⏱️ Two-minute check
"Which came first — dinosaurs, castles, or when Grandma was little?"
Solid looks like: The right order, with any reasoning at all.
The full activity for this topic · 20 minutes
Interview a Grandparent
- 1Write three questions together: what did you play with, how did you get to school, was there a TV?
- 2Call and ask. Let the child do the talking.
- 3Draw a line on paper and mark: Grandma little, Mum little, you born, now.
- 4Talk about one thing that got better and one thing that got worse.
- 5Add a much older event — castles, dinosaurs — miles further along the line to show the scale.
If it's too hard
Compare then and now for one single thing: telephones, or school.
If it's too easy
Add dates to the timeline and work out how many years ago each was.
Say this
"Was that before or after Grandma was little? Let's put it on the line."